The following is a list of Bulgarian military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels. During World War II Bulgaria was a neutral country until 1 March 1941. Then it allied with the Axis powers until 9 September 1944 and then it aligned with the Allies for the rest of war.
Melee Weapons Knives and Bayonets Mannlicher bayonet-knives - mod. 1888, mod. 1890 and mod. 1895. NCO versions also existed. Modified versions from trophy rifles in World War I to fit Mannlicher rifles also were used. Some were made into field (trench) knives, used by officers and NCOs instead of sabres in the trenches. Mosin-Nagant Bayonet mod. 1891 - 68 377 Mosin-Nagant with bayonets and 5 948 Mosin-Nagant without bayonets are listed in Bulgarian army inventory of 11.1938. S84/98 III bayonet - also the Polish(bayonet wz.29), Czechoslovak(bayonet vz. 24) and Yugoslav(bayonet mod. 1924) variations. The Czech variation could be used on the Zk-383 sub-machine gun as well. Combat knife mod. 1942 - used in reconnaissance units. Introduced in 1942–1943 in limited quantities. Fallschirmjägermesser - used by the Bulgarian Paratroopers (1943-1944).
Sabres On 01.12.1939 the Bulgarian army had 18 256 sabres and 1 059 field knives.Петров, Людмил. Проблеми на военната политика на България 1934-1939. Военно издателство, София, 1990, стр. 170//Petrov, Lyudmil. Problems of the Military Policy of Bulgaria 1934-1939. Voenno izdatelstvo, Sofia, 1990, p. 170 https://books.google.com/books?id=J-a8NAEACAAJ The cited reference document in the Bulgarian Military Archive is ЦВА, ф. 25, оп. 2, а.е. 223, л. 11-13 On 15.04.1940 the Bulgarian army had 18 298 sabres.Bulgarian military Archive - Report on the armament of the army - 15.04.1940 - ДВИА, ф. 24, оп.3, а.е. 151, л. 26
NCO Sabre mod. 1927 - 3 361 available at 01.01.1944 2 964 by 01.01.1945, 2 868 by 01.01.1946 Guards Sabre - Mod. 1909 for Officers and Mod. 1903/1924/1936 for the troopers in the Guards Cavalry Regiment. 712 available at 01.01.1944, 691 by 01.01.1945, 699 by 01.01.1946 Cavalry sabre "Напред" - the sabre "Напред"("Forward") was supplied for the Bulgarian Cavalry Regiments from Austria-Hungary (Johann Zelinka, Wien) before the Balkan wars and was also used in World War I and II. 4 007 available at 01.01.1944, 2 659 by 01.01.1945, 2 102 by 01.01.1946 German Cavalry Sword Mod. 1889 (Germany) - supplied from Germany in World War I for the troopers of the Bulgarian Cavalry Regiments (in Bulgaria known as "Орел" ("Eagle")). 5 853 available at 01.01.1944, 5 301 by 01.01.1945, 4 525 by 01.01.1946 Cavalry sabre mod. 1925 - also known as "Лъв"(Lion), produced between the wars. 3 293 available at 01.01.1944, 2 771 by 01.01.1945, 2 933 by 01.01.1946 Generals sword - Two variants are known - mod. 1925 and mod. 1928. Very limited edition.
The Bulgarian Police gradually eliminated during the 1930s the use of the old sabres by the police officersКазазян Агоп, Оръжието на българския полицай 1878-1944, ИК "Свят.Наука", София, 1998, стр. 101/Kazazyan, Agop, The Weapons of the Bulgarian Policeman 1878-1944, Svyat-Nauka, Sofia, 1998, p. 101 https://books.google.bg/books?id=1JUJywEACAAJ&dq and by the 1940s only the mounted police kept their cavalry sabres (402 by 01.12.1940Казазян Агоп, Оръжието на българския полицай 1878-1944, ИК "Свят.Наука", София, 1998, стр. 62/Kazazyan, Agop, The Weapons of the Bulgarian Policeman 1878-1944, Svyat-Nauka, Sofia, 1998, p. 62 https://books.google.bg/books?id=1JUJywEACAAJ&dq). 500 more cavalry sabres were produced for the police in a workshop in Sofia in 1942 and then 2000 former French army cavalry sabres were supplied in 1943–1944.Казазян Агоп, Оръжието на българския полицай 1878-1944, ИК "Свят.Наука", София, 1998, стр. 101-102/Kazazyan, Agop, The Weapons of the Bulgarian Policeman 1878-1944, Svyat-Nauka, Sofia, 1998, pp. 101-102 https://books.google.bg/books?id=1JUJywEACAAJ&dq
Small arms
Pistols and Automatic Pistols 8 444 pistols available on 01.12.1939 with the Bulgarian army 8 711 pistols available on 15.04.1940 with the Bulgarian army. 7.65mm Model 1900/1902 Parabellum (Germany) - pre WWI deliveriesЦветков, Симеон Пистолетите "Парабелум" в българската армия. Поръчки и доставки през 1903-1918 г. в: Известия на Регионален исторически музей - Велико Търново том. XXXII, 2017, стр. 279-440// Tsvetkov, Simeon Parabellum Pistols in the Bulgarian Army. Orders & Supplies 1903-1918 in: Proceedings of the Regional Museum of History Veliko Tarnovo vol. XXXII, 2017, pp. 279-440 https://www.academia.edu/36200297/Пистолетите_Парабелум_в_българската_армия._Поръчки_и_доставки_през_1903-1918_г 144 still available on 01.01.1944, 111 on 01.01.1945, 109 on 01.01.1946 9mm Parabellum P-08 (Germany) - pre WWI and World War I deliveries 7 812 available on 01.01.1944, 6 183 on 01.01.1945 and 5 262 on 01.01.1946 Dreyse M1907 (Germany) - World War I deliveries 763 available on 01.01.1944, 658 available on 01.01.1945 and 598 on 01.01.1946 Langenhan pistol (Germany) - World War I deliveries 764 available on 01.01.1944, 539 available on 01.01.1945 and 463 on 01.01.1946 Mauser Model 1914 (Germany) - World War I deliveries along with Model 1910 1 437 available on 01.01.1944, 1 225 available on 01.01.1945 and 1 173 on 01.01.1946 Sauer 38H (Germany) - 2 000 ordered in 1941 and delivered in 1941-1943Цветков, Симеон Пистолетите "Зауер" модел "Н", "Валтер" П-38 и "Стар" модел "Б" на въоръжение в Българската армия. Поръчки и доставки. в: Известия на Регионален исторически музей - Велико Търново том. XXXI, 2016 стр. 209-215// Tsvetkov, Simeon SAUER H, WALTHER P38 and the Star model B Pistols in the Bulgarian Army. Orders and Supplies in: Proceedings of the Regional Museum of History Veliko Tarnovo vol. XXXI, 2016, pp. 209-215 https://www.academia.edu/31488855/Пистолетите_Зауер_модел_Н_Валтер_П-38_и_Стар_модел_Б_на_въоръжение_в_Българската_армия._Поръчки_и_доставки 4 239 available on 01.01.1944, 2 927 available on 01.01.1945 and 2 741 available on 01.01.1946 Walther P38 (Germany) - 8 000 ordered in 1941, but Germany cancelled the deal. 2 000 ordered in 1942 and delivered in 1943Цветков, Симеон Пистолетите "Зауер" модел "Н", "Валтер" П-38 и "Стар" модел "Б" на въоръжение в Българската армия. Поръчки и доставки. в: Известия на Регионален исторически музей - Велико Търново том. XXXI, 2016 стр. 215-217// Tsvetkov, Simeon SAUER H, WALTHER P38 and the Star model B Pistols in the Bulgarian Army. Orders and Supplies in: Proceedings of the Regional Museum of History Veliko Tarnovo vol. XXXI, 2016, pp. 215-217 https://www.academia.edu/31488855/Пистолетите_Зауер_модел_Н_Валтер_П-38_и_Стар_модел_Б_на_въоръжение_в_Българската_армия._Поръчки_и_доставки 2 703 available on 01.01.1944, 2 550 available on 01.01.1945 and 2 279 available on 01.01.1946 Radom pistol (Poland, Austria, Germany) - known as "VIS" or "Steyr" pistol in Bulgaria. 4 500 ordered in 1942.Цветков, Симеон Пистолетите "Зауер" модел "Н", "Валтер" П-38 и "Стар" модел "Б" на въоръжение в Българската армия. Поръчки и доставки. в: Известия на Регионален исторически музей - Велико Търново том. XXXI, 2016 стр. 217// Tsvetkov, Simeon SAUER H, WALTHER P38 and the Star model B Pistols in the Bulgarian Army. Orders and Supplies in: Proceedings of the Regional Museum of History Veliko Tarnovo vol. XXXI, 2016, p. 217 https://www.academia.edu/31488855/Пистолетите_Зауер_модел_Н_Валтер_П-38_и_Стар_модел_Б_на_въоръжение_в_Българската_армия._Поръчки_и_доставки and delivered in 1943–1944. 4 230 available on 01.01.1944, 3 599 available on 01.01.1945 and 2 986 available on 01.01.1946. Star Model B (Spain) - 14 999 supplied in 1943-1944 from Star Bonifacio EcheverriaЦветков, Симеон Пистолетите "Зауер" модел "Н", "Валтер" П-38 и "Стар" модел "Б" на въоръжение в Българската армия. Поръчки и доставки. в: Известия на Регионален исторически музей - Велико Търново том. XXXI, 2016 стр. 217-218// Tsvetkov, Simeon SAUER H, WALTHER P38 and the Star model B Pistols in the Bulgarian Army. Orders and Supplies in: Proceedings of the Regional Museum of History Veliko Tarnovo vol. XXXI, 2016, pp. 217-218 https://www.academia.edu/31488855/Пистолетите_Зауер_модел_Н_Валтер_П-38_и_Стар_модел_Б_на_въоръжение_в_Българската_армия._Поръчки_и_доставки 10 142 available on 01.01.1944, 10 936 on 01.01.1945 and 9 685 on 01.01.1946 Browning Hi-Power (Belgium, Germany) - 800 in 7.65mm and 800 in 9mm are known to have been officially delivered in 1943 from Germany. Inventory shows however that more have been delivered - 935 9mm and 1 687 7.65mm available on 01.01.1944, 643 9mm and 685 7.65mm available on 01.01.1945 and 493 9mm and 1 109 7.65mm available on 01.01.1946 ČZ vz. 27 (Czechoslovakia, Germany) - 6 500 delivered in 1943. 5 758 available on 01.01.1944, 4 983 on 01.01.1945 and 4 527 on 01.01.1946 Walther PP (Germany) - 3 699 delivered. 2 703 available on 01.01.1944, 2 550 available on 01.01.1945 and 2 279 available on 01.01.1946
44 851 pistols were available with the Bulgarian army on 01.09.1944.Matev Kaloyan Red Wind over the Balkans, Helion, 2019, p. 79 https://books.google.com/books?id=4okajgEACAAJ In 1945 the Soviet deliveries included around 6 000 TT pistol, of which 4 921 are available on 01.01.1946.
The Bulgarian Police had its own supply of pistols. On 01.12.1940 it had 8 002 9mm pistols, 1 034 7.65mm pistols and 215 6.35mm pistols, including 800 ČZ vz. 38, 350 Sauer 38H, 650 Sauer Model 1930, 3 000 Beretta M1923, 120 7.65mm Melior Mod. 1920, Mauser Model 1914, Walther Model 4, 3 924 7.65mm and 9mm Parabellum P-08, etc.Казазян Агоп, Оръжието на българския полицай 1878-1944, ИК "Свят.Наука", София, 1998, стр. 32-41 и 62/Kazazyan, Agop, The Weapons of the Bulgarian Policeman 1878-1944, Svyat-Nauka, Sofia, 1998, pp. 32-41, 62 https://books.google.bg/books?id=1JUJywEACAAJ&dq Deliveries continued during the war including 1 300 ČZ vz. 38, 120 CZ 36, 1 500 ČZ vz. 27, 520 Parabellum P-08, 5 000 Walther P38, 1 400 Walther PP, 500 Walther PPK, 3 000 Star Model B, etc.Казазян Агоп, Оръжието на българския полицай 1878-1944, ИК "Свят.Наука", София, 1998, стр. 62 и 65-75/Kazazyan, Agop, The Weapons of the Bulgarian Policeman 1878-1944, Svyat-Nauka, Sofia, 1998, pp. 62, 65-75 https://books.google.bg/books?id=1JUJywEACAAJ&dq
The Bulgarian Partisans were using a wide assortment of pistols. It is estimated they had 3 180 pistols by 09.1944.Горненски, Никифор, Въоръжената борба на българския народ за освобождение от хитлеристката окупация и монархо-фашистката диктатура (1941-1944 г.), Издателство на БКП, 1958, стр. 235-238// Gornenski, Nikifor The Armed Struggle of the Bulgarian People for Liberation from the Hitlerists' Occupation and the Monarch-Fascist Dictatorship (1941-1944), Izdatelstvo na BKP, 1958, pp. 235-238 https://books.google.com/books?id=Tvl3tgAACAAJКълнъков, Никола, Оръжието на българския народ през вековете, Военно издателство, София, 1984, стр. 251-262//Kylnykov, Nikola, The Weapons of the Bulgarian People through the Centuries, Voenno Izdatelstvo, Sofia, 1984, pp. 251-262
Submachine guns